Zen Buddhism: Understanding the Buddha's Teachings of Zen Zen is an alternative way of seeing things, a different perspective. For example, there is the usual way of seeing a tree and then there is another way, the Zen way of seeing a tree. Zen is a state of consciousness. It seems to me that most people are far from Zen. However a lack of insight into it is no proof that it does not exist. It is only because of not being aware and not trying to find Zen that it does not reveal itself.